Jason Williams and James Posey for EJ? Do it, Riles

The latest rumor heating up for the Heat this offseason is a possible deal that will land the Grizzlies' Jason Williams and James Posey in Miami for long time Heat and fan favorite Eddie Jones. Well, maybe 'maligned' fan favorite anyway.

It is indisputable how much EJ meant to the Heat. He played out of position at SF and was able to muster up excellent defensive efforts against players larger than him. He did this for the sake of the team all while wearing that 'C' on his chest.

But this is exactly why the Heat need to make this move.

Defense, like speed and pitching in baseball, is there EVERY game. Detroit won the Eastern Conference Finals because of injuries to the Heat, definetly, but the indisputable aspect of their game was defense. The Pistons' team defense was there every game, night in and night out. In order for the Heat to take that next big step, they will have to improve their overall defensive effort. This is precisely what Williams and Posey offer.

The other need that had to be addressed was the Heat's ability to create offensively. It cannot be a one man show in Wade. The Heat need other players that can create with their dribble. There are few better in this game than Jason Williams. He is like a poor man's Jason Kidd. Arguably one of the better passers in the game, he can stick an open three as well. With Shaq, he will get plenty of opportunities to do so. But the other aspect JWill brings is his ability to penetrate. How many times did we see Damon Jones posting up from half court, with his back to the basket when we needed someone to approach straight up with atleast the threat to take it to the hole? This is what made Keyon Dooling so valuable here and now that he is gone, that need becomes even more pressing for the Heat.

And James Posey will be as staunch a defender at SF as EJ was - maybe even more so because of his size. At 6'8", Posey will present more of a physical presence as well as a longer wing span. He also can score and even shot .386 from 3 point range back in a healthy '03-'04 season. On this team, he will get more space wiht Shaq in the post and will also get more open looks. He is a freakish athlete who can draw contact - which means more fouls and free throws.

The only downside is parting with EJ - the heart and soul of this Heat team. Fans, most of the fair-weather variety, would whine and complain about EJ's salary and his seeming lack of production. Anyone who knows anything about the game of basketball saw how blatantly obvious EJ's contributions were. And how much the Heat needed them. But this deal is a no-brainer and makes the Heat a more dangerous team on the offensive and defensive ends. Plus, it gives the Heat the ability to spend more money potentially as it does not even dip into it's mid level exception ($5.1M).

Make this deal, Riley. Make the Heat even better than last year's team. With the Nets vastly improved, the Pistons getting back to stability and the Pacers getting Artest back, the Heat have to play catchup. This will put them into a class unto themselves.